The minister of water resources and sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has disclosed that the Farin Ruwa Multipurpose Dam project in Wamba local government area of Nasarawa State is at 42 percent completion stage.
The minister stated this when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to Governor Abdullahi Sule in Lafia.
LEADERSHIP reports that the multipurpose dam is currently being executed by China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC).
The scope of the project includes a 65-metre-high, 750-metre-long embankment designed to store 73 million cubic metres of water, a 500-metre saddle dam, an intake tower, a 200-metre service bridge, a 150-metre concrete spillway, a 120-metre discharge channel, and a 20-kilometre access road with drainage.
Recall that the project was initially initiated by the first civilian administration of Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
In 2018, the federal government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nasarawa State government for the takeover of the project.
“The purpose of the project is for the generation of 20 megawatts of hydroelectricity, water supply for safe drinking water, and sanitation, irrigation and drainage for food production, flood control, recreation and tourism,” the minister explained.
He revealed that the federal government planned to relocate Mangar community which is close to the dam to pave way for the completion of the project.
According to the minister, the delegation was in Lafia to seek further collaboration with critical stakeholders.
“We are here to intimate on the need and modalities to relocate and resettle Mangar community to a safe location because when the dam is fully completed, the storage of water will inundate the entire settlement. We request that there should be stakeholders engagement and consultation and provision of land and CofO for the resettlement area, including the entire project area, which we have already made a request to the office of His Excellency,” he said.
He commended the Governor Sule administration for constructing the Sisin Baki-Farin Ruwa access road which allowed contractors to mobilise to site.
He added that consultations with stakeholders would be intensified to resolve the resettlement process without further delay.
Responding, Governor Abdullahi Sule, called for the timely execution of the project which would open up the area to development.
The governor, however, expressed concern on the planned relocation of the Mangar community without a timeline for completing the project, especially that the inhabitants would be forced to abandon their homes and farms, as well as their source of livelihoods.
“We don’t want to start something now, after relocating the people to the high ground, and they continue to wait for the dam to be completed. Relocating them means taking away their farms and means of livelihoods,” he stated.
He urged the federal government to plan the impending relocation in order to protect the livelihoods of residents who risk losing their homes and farms.
Governor Sule assured that his administration would do everything possible to fast track the completion of the project, directing the lawmaker representing the area at the state assembly, his commissioner, as well as traditional rulers, to liaise with officials of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, with a view to arriving at modalities for relocating the community.
